Making resins from olefin polymers and organic acid anhydride



arsed 11, 1952 v a Y 2589,0 69

UNITED STATES PAT E-QNT OFFICE MAK NG itssl'nsr .nmrINrQLmEc AND. ORGANIC ACID HynnrnE Egi V. -Fasce, Baton Rouge, La assignor to 'Standard Oil -Development Company, a -corporation ofrDelaware No Drawing. Application June 4, 1948,

Serial No. 31.202

This invention relatesto high molecular weight stillin which substantial quantities ofcaustic soda polymers, relates especially-to-methods -for couor limeor -the likeare-used. I-his treatment-inplinpolymer molecules and relates particularly valves-the use-of-a fractionating column stillin -to--methods for coupling unsaturated-polymer which-thethyl chloride in a conditionof high molecules by'means of acid-anhydrides. 5 -purityis takenoverhead from-the ..still,-rec0-n- "Inthe preparation of ethyl chloride by the redensed and-run into suitable ccntainers forcsale action between hydrogen chloride andethylene, and shipment. -'-I'-he still bottoms-consist as above the respectivegasesare bubbled through and dis- -indicated, of'a series-of polymer-sot a relatively solved i ethylch-loride under pressures ranging V 'wide range -0f-molecular weight, whicharemore from atmospheric pressure 'to 250 lbs-per square or lesshighlyunsaturated-in character withrboilinch; and at temperatures withinthe rangebeing-poin-ts fallingin a relatively wide temperature tween 0-F.-and-200 -F., the preferred ranges-be- --range-fromabout137 B, up there usuallysbein ing from 100 lbs. to 250 lbs; per square inch at a-portion not-volatileat'any temperature and vac- -temperatures within -the-range--between-50 F. -uum; without heat breakdown. -Ihelowercboiland 150 F. The reaction is promoted-by the ls-ingcomponents ofthestill-:bottomsareclear and presence of alumi-num chloride which is added to closely-resemb1anaphtha, although thelbromine the materialin the reactor to the extent of from number is m'uch highentindicatingnavrelatively 0.5% to 3% of aluminumchloride (based-on highly unsaturatedmaterial. I Iigher.boiling..por-

the amount of ethyl chloride solvent in the -retions also are highly unsaturated, and show inactor). In-the presenceof the aluminum chic-sereasinglydeeper color characteristics. .Thenonride,--the hydrogen chloride and ethylene, -in-sovolati-leaportion1is a sticky, .dark..co1ored,:tarry lution, react to yield the desi-red ethylchloride material.

which is liquid within-the stated conditions of Accordingto the present invention ithistnow temperature and pressure. Small amounts of iound-thatcertain .intermed-iatesboiling portions hydrogen chlorideand ethylene mayfailto-comof--this --materia1, particularly. the intermediate bine; andthey'aredischarged from the top of the boiling material havingsaAboiling upointhwithin reactor and an'overflow-stream -of liquidethyl therangebetvveen.500Faand.525..F. .can..be,tin chloride is also discharged from the reactor. The ;-1aI-'ee-part, converted toa h h y usefulsolid pol presence of unreactedethylene andh-ydrogen -mer ofgoodstrengthy high meltinglpoint andlsubchloride makesnecessary a subsequent purifica- .w -stantial commercial valuetbylthecstepsloilreacttion step to obtain-commercially pure'ethyl chloting-the polymer with .an .acidanhydridessuch-as ride. A water-wash followed bydistillationover maleic .anhydride,'ci-traconictanhydride,and. the

caustic such as limeor soda or sodiumhydroxide other alkyLsubstituted maleic. anhydrid'esnan -may be employed. It-is-found however that there also rbe used for. ithis reaction. --These..anhydrides are also side reactions in thispolymerizationproc-1.1 and a wide range. of. .other anhydrides .suchas ess which produce considerable-amounts of-higher phthalic ..anhydride.=-may be. used :to; reactwith molecular weight material than the ethyl chlothe polymert-outiof the..desired boiling point. to ride this higher molecular weight material produce thedesiredvaluable hardresin,v,through usually containing from 1% to -5% or 10% of the agency of aluminum chlorideor othenFi-tiedelchlorine and being relatively highly unsaturated. 40 Craftscatalyst.

On the basis of such factors-as refractive-index, -It'maytbe noted-.thatithe lower boiling portions bromine number, boiling point and gravity it ap- ..ofthexstillbottoms, while .theyare .reactive iwith pears that the major portion'of this material-is maleic-anhydride.mayinotiyield a-hardres-in-and cyclic or naphthalenic in' nature-but contains --accord-ingly it-is.desirablefor the.purpnses of this some small amounts of parafi'lns-and 'diolefins. invention' to use only thehighersboiling material.

It further appears that the diolefi-ns -are Thus-the process of the .inventionrreactsxitocyclic in character rather than srtaight chain gether -a -highlyunsaturated ethylenicapolymer diolefins. with= an-. acid anhydride .in.-.the presence .of a

The liquid overflow from the reactor, which is *Friedel-Crafts catalystto produce.a hard,..mod-

90% or'more ethyl chloridawith the remainder erately high melting resin. Otherbbjects and mostly these heavier unsaturated polymers is then details of the invention will be apparentnfrom taken to a separatorstep or process which may the following description:

consist in a preliminary water-wash to remove Inpracticingthe invention, thepolymenresidue any uncombined hydrogenchloride or may confrom th'epurification of the ethyl chloride, .pre-

sist primarily ofa treatment in-the fractionating pared by the interaction-.-be,tween hydrogenfchlo- -lubricating oil-like material.

ride and ethylene as above outlined is treated with warm water at a temperature between about 60 and 120 F. to hydrolyze any residual chlorides present; stirring the polymer residue vigorousiy with the warm water. The material is then allowed to settle, and lighter polymer decanted from the wash water. This polymer is then dried over anhydrous sodium carbonate and filtered. The polymer material is then charged to a still and a series of distillation cuts taken overhead. Approxnnately two-thirds of the polymer is distillaole. Approximately by volume distiils within a temperature range between 137 F. and 400 F. Approximately 21% distills over a temperature range from 110 F. to 550 F. and approximately 9% distills over a temperature range between 410 F. and 667 F. Approximately 21% is distillable by the use of steam and vacuum, leaving a nonvolatile residue of approximately 34% by volume.

It may be noted that the first cut, 15%, dis- 7 tilled out over the normal boiling range for gasoline; the second cut boned over the normal range for white signal oil; the third cut over the normal boiling range 1011 gas oil, and the fourth cut over the normal boiling range for a lubricating oil. For the purposes of this invention, the second and third cuts were combined and redistilled to obtain approximately 9% by volume of the total polymer, boiling over a temperature range between approximately 500 F. and 525 F. with a midpoint at 515 F. (corresponding to a cut at 220 F. under a 4 mm. vacuum). The remainder of the material was returned to the process for other purposes. lhe polymer material, boiling between 500 F. and 525 F., appeared to consist almost entirely of C14, C15, and C16 compounds with small amounts only of C13 and C17 compounds.

This polymer cut from the polymerized residue obtained from the reaction in the making of ethyl chloride is the preferred material for present in- ..vention. The invention is not however limited to this particular cut. The lighter boiling fractions which also have reasonably high iodine numbers also react excellently with the maleic anhydride. They do not however produce hard resins. The product obtained by the use of these lower boiling temperature components tends to be of undesirable low melting point to the extent of being in some instances practically fiuid or heavy Similarly, materials boiling at higher temperatures than the indicated range are usable but not so readily, since they tend to have undesirably low iodine numbers and it is diificult to separate the high molecular weight relatively low unsaturated materials from the resin which is produced. Accordingly for the purposes of the present invention it is highly desirable to utilize only the material boiling within this rather narrow temperature range. The preferred polymer having a boiling point within the stated range of 500 F. to 525 F. is then mixed with an approximately equal amount of maleic anhydride (or other anhydride) and with approximately 10% of aluminum chloride and the mixture heated to a temperature within the range between about 150 to 250 F. with vigorous stirring. The initial color of the cut is a light yellow, and within 10 minutes after the beginning of the heat treatment, the color of the mixture changes from light yellow to bluish green which darkens somewhat on continuing heating. The heating is then continued for 1 hour. At the end of this time, the mixture is hydrolyzed with dilute (10%) hydrochloric? acid to decompose the aluminum chloride and the resulting hydrocarbon layer is extracted with chloroform. 'lhe chloroform extract is washed with water, dried over sodium carbonate, and filtered. The chloroform is then distilled off and there is obtained approximately 120% (based on polymer feed) of a dark brownish oil.

This material is separated into components consisting of a substantial amount of a heavy, dark, tarry oil, and solid light yellow resin.

It may be noted that the unsaturation in these compounds is relatively high, being measured by iodine numbers usually in the neighborhood of about 80, although various cuts show varying iodine numbers within the range between about 60 and about 90, the overall range usually being found to lie between 50 and 110. It may be noted that any of these polymers having from C14 to C18 carbon numbers with iodine numbers within the stated range are more or less enectively usable for the present invention.

For this separation OI the reaction product from the polymer and anhydride in the presence of the aluminum chloride, the mixture is dis solved in hot alcohol, preferably hot ethyl alcohol, boiled with Norite (charcoal) as a decolorizer, for a few minutes and then filtered. The

clear filtrate is evaporated to dryness and then petroleum ether added to precipitate the resin. Upon filtration, a light yellow solid resin is obtained, the yield being approximately 36% based upon the polymer cut utilized in the original polymerization. Upon the evaporation of the filtrate to remove the solvent, there is obtained approximately 64% based on polymer feed of a liquid red, viscous, oily resin. It may be noted that these indicated yields are approximations only because of the unavoidable losses in handling and unavoidable losses from the solvents used. An additional yield, a further portion of the resin, may be obtained by re-dissolving the oil in petroleum ether. This dissolves only a portion of the material, and the resin itself remains separate and undissolved. By this procedure approximately 50% yield of resin on the amount of feed initially used is obtained.

This resin is found to be partially soluble in hot alkali solution, readily soluble in ethyl alcohol and chloroform and insoluble in water and also relatively quite insoluble in hydrocarbon solvents as such. In general the resin is readily soluble in the oxygenated solvents and quite insoluble in the hydrocarbon type solvents. The melting point is not necessarily uniform, depending in large measure upon the care with which the accompanying heavy oil is removed. By appropriate treatment, a resin having a melting point ranging from approximately 100 F. to about 150 F. is readily obtained.

This resin is particularly useful as a tackiness agent especially in connection with the compounding of both crude and synthetic rubber.

' Its relatively low iodine number makes it highly valuable in both the conjugated diolefin-styrene and conjugated diolefin-nitrile type synthetic rubbers, the low unsaturation olefin-diolefin synthetic rubber as well as natural rubber, in all of which it improves the tackiness and simplifies, facilitates and cases the problems involved in the building of tires and tubes. Likewise, it is useful as a drying oil; and as a filler in paints. It may be added in linseed oil or other drying oils which may then be cooked in the usual fashion to yield an excellent paint base or varnish base.

" type of polymer.

ft is also valuable asa component in a molding compositionin which'it may be'used as such,

alone; but preferably with fillers such as cotton linters, ground wood, groundcork, various pigments such as rouge, chrome green, chrome yellow, barites, whiting and the like. Alternatively the resin of the present invention may-be used asa filler or compoundingagent with other resins such as the bakelite resins, glyptal resinsandthe other molded composition resins in general.

The above outline-shows the making of but one Similar polymers are readily produced from other anhydrides as mentioned, citraconic anhydrides being particularly useful, that is, tests to the present have shown that any of the known anhydrides are usable more or less advantageously for the present invention.'

, Also, the above disclosure shows polymer from but one source. The invention is not however,.

limited to this source alone, since it is possible to produce a polymer from ethylene as such, with or without a diluent, in the presence of alu-" minum chloride, usually with a solvent such as ethyl or methyl chloride or carbon di-sulfide or the like for the aluminum chloride. tion proceeds excellently, especially at reduced temperatures or under elevated pressure as desired and it produces an excellent polymer which also shows a fairly wide boiling range and molecular weight; which is conveniently fractionated as above described to obtain the specified narrow out.

A similar polymer is obtainable from propylene which is particularly advantageous for use in this invention. Propylene may be used as such, be-

ing added to a solution of aluminum chloride A particularly useful mixture is the C4 cut residue from which isobutylene has been extracted. This residue contains portions of ethylene, propylene and normal butenes and a small amount of the pentenes and sometimes the hexenes. This polymer, produced by the use of a solid catalyst or by a dissolved catalyst shows excellent properties for use in the present invention. In each instance the preferred catalyst is aluminum chloride in solution in ethyl chloride. However, a wide range of other Friedel-Crafts type catalysts may be used as desired, including such substances as boron tri-fiuoride, titanium tetra-chloride, uranium chloride and the like, substantially any of the Friedel-Craits type of catalysts, being efficiently and effectively used.

Thus the process of the invention reacts together a highly unsaturated hydrocarbon polymer with an acid anhydride to produce a light colored resin of good melting point.

While there are above disclosed but a limited number of embodiments of the invention, it is possible to produce still other embodiments without departing from the inventive concept herein disclosed and it is therefore desired that only such limitations be imposed on the appended This reac- 'boiling'range of about 500-525 F. and an iodine "number of about 50 to 110, said polymer containing amajor proportion of cyclic constituents and containing at least some cyclic diolefins, and con- "sisting essentially of compounds having m 16 carbon atoms, which comprises reacting said polymer with a dibasic organic acid anhydride in the presence of aluminum chloride 'at'a temperature of about -250 F., and separating from the resulting reaction products a portion consisting of a hard light-colored resin having a .melting point of about IOU-150 F.

2. A process for preparing a, light-colored hard resin from an oily olefin polymer obtained as a by-product during the manufacture of ethyl chloride by reacting ethylene and hydrogen chloride at a temperature of about 50-150 F. and under a pressure of about 100-250 lbs/sq. in., the crude by-product polymer being fractionated to separate a fraction boiling at about 500-525 F., consisting essentially of compounds having 14 to 16 carbon atoms per molecule, having an iodine number of about 50-110, and containing a small amount of chlorine in the range of about 1 to 10%, said polymer fraction consisting in major proportion of cyclic compounds and containing at least some cyclic diolefins, comprising reacting said separated polymer fraction with a dibasic organic acid anhydride in the presence of aluminum chloride at a temperature of 150-250 F., and separating from the resulting higher molecular weight polymer reaction products a portion consisting essentially of a hard lightcolored resin.

3. Process according to claim 2 in which the separated polymer fraction used as raw material for reaction with the organic acid anhydride has a, mid boiling point of about 515 F. and has an iodine number of about 60-90, and said fraction is reacted in about equal amounts with maleic anhydride in the presence of about 10% of aluminum chloride, and in which the hard resin separated from the reaction products has a melting point of about IUD-150 F., is soluble in hot alkali, ethyl alcohol, chloroform and in oxygenated solvents in general, but is substantially insoluble in petroleum ether and other hydrocarbon solvents.

4. A product consisting essentially of a. hard light colored resin having a melting point of about 100-150 F., soluble in ethyl alcohol, chloroform, oxygenated solvents and in hot alkali but substantially insoluble in petroleum ether and other hydrocarbon solvents, said resin being a reaction product of a dibasic organic acid anhydride with an oily olefin polymer fraction having a boiling range of about 500-525" R, an iodine number of about 50-110, a small chlorine content in the range of about 1 to 10 and consisting essentially of compounds having 14 to 16 carbon atoms and consisting in major proportion of cyclic compounds including at least some cyclic diolefins, said reaction product having been prepared in the presence of aluminum chloride at a temperature of from 150 to 250 F.

5. Product consisting essentially of a hard light colored resin having a melting point of about IOU-150 F., soluble in ethyl alcohol, chloroform, oxygenated solvents, and in hot alkali, but substantially insoluble in petroleum ether and other a s nc s hydrocarbon solvents, said resin having been produced by reaction of about equal amounts of maleic anhydride and an oily olefin polymer fraction boiling at about 500-525 E, having an iodine number of about 60-90, consisting essentially of compounds having 14 to 16 carbon atoms and containing a major proportion of cyclic compounds including at least some cyclic diolefins, said reaction having been carried out at about ISO-250 F. in the presence of about 10% of aluminum chloride, and said hard light colored resin having been separated from the reaction products by precipitation with petroleum ether.

EGI V. FASCE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,133,734 Moser Oct. 18, 1938 2,142,980 Huijser et a1 Jan. 3, 1939 10 2,147,547 Reifi et a1. Feb. 14, 1939 2,201,750 Vierling et a1 May 21, 1940 2,429,479 Mikeska Oct. 21, 1947 

1. THE PROCESS FOR PREPARING A LIGHT COLORED HARD RESIN FROM AN OILY OLEFIN POLYMER HAVING A BOILING RANGE OF ABOUT 500-525* F. AND AN IODINE NUMBER OF ABOUT 50 TO 110, SAID POLYMER CONTAINING A MAJOR PROPORTION OF CYCLIC CONSTITUENTS AND CONTAINING AT LEAST SOME CYCLIC DIOLEFINS, AND CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF COMPOUNDS HAVING 14 TO 16 CARBON ATOMS, WHICH COMPRISES REACTING SAID POLYMER WITH A DIBASIC ORGANIC ACID ANHYDRIDE IN THE PRESENCE OF ALUMINUM CHLORIDE AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 150-250* F., AND SEPARATING FROM THE RESULTING REACTION PRODUCTS A PORTION CONSISTING OF A HARD LIGHT-COLORED RESIN HAVING A MELTING POINT OF ABOUT 100-150* F. 